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A COMPARATIVE RISK REDUCTION ANALYSIS OF THE OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE'S WASTE MINIMIZATION PRIORITY CHEMICALS INITIATIVE USING THE 3MRA MULTIMEDIA MODELING SYSTEM
Citation:
BABENDREIER, J. E., W. BRANDES, Z. SALEEM, S. KRONER, R. S. PARMAR, AND K. L. WOLFE. A COMPARATIVE RISK REDUCTION ANALYSIS OF THE OFFICE OF SOLID WASTE'S WASTE MINIMIZATION PRIORITY CHEMICALS INITIATIVE USING THE 3MRA MULTIMEDIA MODELING SYSTEM. Presented at Board of Scientific Counselors Land Goal Research Program Review, Cincinnati, OH, December 13 - 15, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
The primary goals are to: (1) Construct a 400-node PC-based supercomputing cluster supporting Windows and Linux computer operating systems (i.e. SuperMUSE: Supercomputer for Model Uncertainty and Sensitivity Evaluation); (2) Develop platform-independent system software for the management of SuperMUSE and parallelization of EPA models and modeling systems for implementation on SuperMUSE (and other PC-based clusters); (3) Conduct uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of the 3MRA modeling system; (4) Develop advanced algorithmic software for advanced statistical sampling methods, and screening, localized, and global sensitivity analyses; and (5) Provide customer-oriented model applications for probabilistic risk assessment supporting quality assurance in multimedia decision-making.
Description:
A study was initiated by the EPA/ORD National Exposure Research Lab (NERL) in FY05 to quantify risk reduction resulting from this national EPA initiative to reduce WMPC disposal. Using the 3MRA modeling system, which was recommended for use by the EPA Science Advisory Board for national-scale risk assessment of waste management units, we will develop a performance measure by comparatively assessing reduction in risks to ecological and human populations resulting from achievement of current and future waste reduction goals, for up to 9 of 31 WMPCs (e.g., Pb, Hg, TCDD). The study will address waste stream flows into five waste management types associated with industrial Subtitle D facilities. This national-scale risk reduction assessment will quantify uncertainty and variability in a wide range of factors that describe waste management environments at industrial facilities across the country. The study will also be able to assess specific subpopulations of receptors experiencing more or less benefit. An outcome of this work will be an ability to quantify, on a national-scale, the reduction in risk to human and ecological receptors resulting from the reduction of selected WMPCs (i.e., persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals) found within waste streams reaching industrial solid waste management facilities. The study will ultimately provide a useful, quantifiable metric (accountability) of benefits associated with the RCC WMPC program.